Kristoff Goes Small with Lil Pistoff Kristoff

Just a few months ago, Kristoff took its Pistoff Kristoff line to big proportions with the release the 8 1/2 x 60 Extremely Pistoff Kristoff. Now, it’s going to the other end of the spectrum with the Lil Pistoff Kristoff.

The new cigar measures 5 x 44 and is a result of the company’s push towards the corona vitola, particualrly by way of the March 2018 launch of the size in the company’s Habano, Connecticut and Original Maduro blends. As part of the launch the company offered display trays to retailers to help call attention to the size. Jarrid Trudeau, vp of sales for Kristoff, told halfwheel that the idea to do the Pistoff Kristoff blend in a corona vitola, as well as the name, came from one of the company’s sales reps, “and we loved it,” he noted.

The Pistoff Kristoff line debuted in the summer of 2016, with a natural Mexican San Andrés wrapper covering an Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Glen Case describes it as a full strength profile, but one that is deceptively strong due to its flavor and smoothness. As for the name, a customer pitched the idea of the Pissed Off Kristoff, the idea of which Case liked but he wanted to modify the spelling, which led to the final name.

The Pistoff Kristoff line now stands at six sizes, with the newest vitola available to ship to retailers:

Pistoff Kristoff Churchill (7 x 50), — $9.20

Pistoff Kristoff 660 (6 x 60) — $9.60

Pistoff Kristoff Robusto (5 1/2 x 54) — $9

Pistoff Kristoff Corona Gorda (5 3/4 x 48) — $8.70

Extremely Pistoff Kristoff (8 1/2 x 60) — $10.99

Lil Pistoff Kristoff (5 x 44) — $6.60

The line is made at the Charles Fairmorn factory in the Dominican Republic.

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. I previously covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.